They Knew They Were Pilgrims

April, Come She Will

April, come she will,
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain;
May, she will stay,
Resting in my arms again.

June, she’ll change her tune,
In restless walks she’ll prowl the night;
July, she will fly,
And give no warning to her flight.

August, die she must,
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold;
September I’ll remember.
A love once new has now grown old.

- Paul Simon

Last winter, I wrote a little (and made a video) about taking the high road. It’s not the easiest road to take, but it is guaranteed to be the most beautiful. This year’s high road video, as a reflection on what has passed and in preparation of what is to come, is a collection of photographs from one point of view. Yes, technically it’s three minutes of the same scene, but in reality, that same scene is ever-changing with the seasons of the year, the events of our work day and that particular morning’s mood. Almost all of these photos were taken around 9am. The first of them was taken in March 2013, the last in February 2014 – that’s an entire year of pictures. Taking in this singular prospect as often as I do, I try to pause and take it in, appreciate it for all that it is, and recognise how incredibly fortunate I am to consider this my “office”.

This video also features some of my all-time favourite musicians (and that’s saying a lot); early music heroes The Hilliard Ensemble who are about as good at rocking the plainchant as it can ever possibly get, and Norway’s finest Jan Garbarek himself, a jazz saxophonist who has played with the greats (check out Belonging with pianist Keith Jarrett for a start). I saw him live once, but that’s another story for another place…

So make yourself a cup of tea, turn up the volume on whatever device you might be listening on, sit back, relax and enjoy the extraordinary beauty of our English Village through the seasons.

8 Responses to “April, Come She Will”

That was absolutely beautiful!!! What a wonderful way to show how truly timeless that village is. I especially like the shot of where everything was covered in fog and the once with the dramatic clouds looming overhead. A truly awesome post

Congratulations on your thirty year milestone, John. Thank you for all you have contributed and continue to contribute to make our program vibrant and beautiful. It is a true privilege to work alongside you.